Luxury Christmas Holidays in Cornwall

Christmas has a way of bringing everyone back together, and the right Gem gives the whole family space to make the most of it.

Choose one of our larger homes and gather grandparents, grown-up children and little ones under one roof. Generous kitchens and dining spaces make Christmas lunch part of the occasion, while games rooms, cinema rooms and hot tubs give everyone something to enjoy beyond the presents.

Then take Christmas beyond the house. Walk the beach before lunch, head out along the coast path, visit a festive attraction or make a Boxing Day trip to the sea part of the family tradition.

However your family celebrates, a Christmas away gives you something particularly valuable: time together, with the space to do things your own way.

Christmas does not have to mean a house full of people. For two, Cornwall offers the chance to celebrate at a different pace, with winter coastlines, memorable food and more time for each other.

Choose one of our romantic retreats and make the days entirely your own. Walk an almost-empty beach, explore a harbour town dressed for Christmas, book somewhere special for lunch or return to your Gem for an evening with a sea view or a soak in the hot tub.

Whether it is your first Christmas together, a chance to step away from the usual routine or simply an excuse to make the festive season feel a little more special, Cornwall makes a beautiful setting for a Christmas for two.

Christmas is better when nobody gets left behind, including the dog.

Many of our dog-friendly holiday homes welcome four-legged guests, giving you a comfortable base for Christmas Day walks, windswept beach trips and long rambles along the coast or through the countryside.

Winter also opens up more of Cornwall’s coastline to dogs as many seasonal beach restrictions have ended, although it is always worth checking the rules for individual beaches before setting out.

Look for a Gem with an enclosed garden, plenty of space to settle in and good walks close by, then bring the whole family to Cornwall for Christmas.

Some Christmases are remembered as much for the house as for what was under the tree.

Choose somewhere with space for everyone to wake up under one roof, a kitchen that can handle Christmas lunch and a table where nobody needs to squeeze in at the last minute. Add a games room for the competitive ones, a cinema for the Christmas classics or a hot tub for the quiet half hour after a walk.

If you would rather spend less time cooking, arrange private dining at your Gem. Or build in a little downtime with one of our wellbeing experiences.

The result is a Christmas that feels generous in all the right ways: more space, more time together and fewer reasons to rush anywhere.

Christmas Day may be the centrepiece, but the days around it are part of the pleasure too.

See the Christmas lights: Visit Mousehole Harbour Lights and see one of Cornwall's best-known festive traditions reflected across the harbour.

Walk off Christmas lunch: Pick a stretch of the South West Coast Path, wander across a wide winter beach or head out around a harbour before returning home for round two.

Make time for a festive day out: Seasonal programmes at places such as the Lost Gardens of Heligan and the Eden Project add something different to the days either side of Christmas.

Hear carols somewhere memorable: Truro Cathedral and churches across Cornwall host festive services and music, while towns and villages have their own local traditions.

Brave a Boxing Day swim: Festive dips take place around the Cornish coast. Join in if you fancy it, or take the considerably warmer option of cheering from the shore.

Make dinner an occasion: Book somewhere special, arrange a private chef, or stock the kitchen with Cornish produce and make an evening of it at your Gem.

Where you stay can shape the whole feel of Christmas in Cornwall, from harbour lights and festive towns to quieter villages and wild stretches of coast.

Mousehole, Penzance, Newlyn and Marazion are especially atmospheric at Christmas. Mousehole’s famous harbour lights are a highlight, while Mount’s Bay brings galleries, good food, winter walks and St Michael’s Mount within easy reach.

St Ives and Carbis Bay combine beaches with galleries, independent shopping and restaurants, making them a strong choice if you want plenty to dip into between festive downtime.

On the south coast, Falmouth, Flushing and the Helford offer harbour life, waterside dining and easy access to Truro, while Fowey and the Roseland suit a slower Christmas of estuary walks, village pubs and quieter days by the water.

Charlestown and Mevagissey bring a different kind of festive charm, with historic harbours, fishing-village character and easy access to the Eden Project, Lost Gardens of Heligan and the surrounding south coast.

For a food-led Christmas, Padstow, Rock and the Camel Estuary put excellent restaurants, estuary walks and beaches close at hand. Further west, St Agnes, Perranporth and the surrounding coast are ideal if you want dramatic winter seas, walking and a more rugged north-coast feel.

For wide beaches, winter surf and plenty of room for dogs and families, Newquay, Crantock and Holywell Bay are worth considering. Or head further south to the Lizard for a Christmas that feels properly removed from the everyday, with wild coastline, small villages and some of Cornwall’s most distinctive winter scenery.